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PHILADELPHIA: Police unions across the country have largely supported the re-election of President Donald Trump, amid mass demonstrations over police brutality and accusations of systemic racism, but several black law enforcement officers are speaking out against these endorsements. , saying his concerns about entering the 2020 political race were ignored.
Trump has touted his support of the law enforcement community, which includes backing from national, city and state civil servants’ unions, some of which publicly endorsed a political candidate for the first time.
He is running on what he calls a “law and order” platform and tapping into a tension of anger and frustration felt by law enforcement officers who believe they are being unfairly accused of racial profiling.
There are more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies in the US, with large departments dominating nationally. The number of minority officers in the police force has more than doubled in the past three decades, but many departments still have a lower percentage of black and Hispanic officers compared to the percentage of the general population that make up those communities.
Many fraternal black police organizations were formed to advocate for equality within police departments, but also to focus on how law enforcement affects the broader black community.
There have often been tensions between minority organizations and larger unions, as in August, when the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers issued a letter condemning the use of deadly force, police misconduct and abuse in communities of color.
While support for the Republican incumbent is not strictly based on racial lines, many black officials say that endorsement of Trump does not fairly represent all dues-paying members.
“We are members of these unions, and they don’t take our feelings about Donald J. Trump into consideration, so they don’t care about us and … they don’t care about our dues,” said Rochelle Bilal, the recent past president of the League. Civic Guardian of Philadelphia, calling Trump’s endorsement of the National Fraternal Order of Police an “outrage.”
Bilal, who was elected as Philadelphia’s first black female sheriff last year, spoke at a news conference in early October with other black police groups in Philadelphia to condemn Trump’s endorsements and the process that they claimed ignored his concerns about what they perceived as racist comments. , support for white supremacist groups, and Trump’s lack of respect for women.
Crystal Williams-Coleman, president of the Guardian Civic League, speaks to reporters during a press conference on October 9, 2020 in Philadelphia. (Photo: AP / Michael Perez)
But national union leaders say the process is designed to give everyone a voice and support represents the majority of leaders. The Fraternal Order of Police represents about 350,000 officers nationwide, but does not track racial demographics.
“I am a black American and a black law enforcement officer,” said Rob Pride, chairman of trustees for the National Fraternal Order of Police. “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for me since the George Floyd incident. It was horrible.”
Pride, which oversees the vote leading to the organization’s presidential endorsement, says Floyd’s May 25 police assassination in Minneapolis and the political climate “are tearing America apart” and having a similar effect on the FOP.
National FOP leaders said they have heard from members who disagree with Trump’s endorsement, and are open to discussing their concerns, but that the 44 state chapters of Fraternal Police Orders that voted for Trump voted for Trump. .
Pride said the entire process begins locally, with lodges distributing candidate survey responses and ballots and then voting at a state meeting. Then the state delegates voted at the national meeting.
“We could probably have an hour-long conversation about why some people feel that President Trump is racist and why others disagree,” he said. “But there are many officers of all races of all backgrounds who feel that he best represents and supports law enforcement interests.”
At the local level, police reform bills spurred by protests against police brutality in the wake of Floyd’s murder have also stoked local union support for candidates for state office at higher rates this year, some of them which issued endorsements for the first time in decades.
While many union leaders say the endorsements are not based on political parties, in large part it has been for Republicans challenging candidates who have voted for what the unions call “anti-police” reform bills.
Pennsylvania State Senator Sharif Street speaks to reporters during a press conference on October 9, 2020 in Philadelphia. (Photo: AP / Michael Perez)
Philadelphia’s FOP Lodge 5 president John McNesby said in a statement that the group, which represents 6,500 members, did not endorse the presidential race, and deferred endorsement from its parent union.
But members said that despite being the largest lodge in the state, they were not given the opportunity to vote or be counted by state or national delegates.
In denouncing the endorsement processes, The Guardian Civic League has asked its approximately 1,200 members to be prepared to withdraw their dues from the national FOP, as has the Valiants Club of Philadelphia, an organization of more than 500 minority firefighters, from the Local 22 of the International Union of Firefighters and Paramedics. By backing Trump, Local 22 broke with its parent organization, which backed Democrat Joe Biden.
Valiants leaders said Local 22’s endorsement was based on survey responses from roughly 500 of the union’s nearly 5,000 members. Local union leaders said a new poll is being sent to members in response to the backlash and that their endorsement will be reviewed if necessary before the end of the month.
“The election is on November 3 and people are voting now. What are you going to do to terminate the endorsement days before the election? ”Said John Elam, a Philadelphia firefighter and member of the Valiants. “We want a fair process. We wanted a fair process from the beginning ”.
Philadelphia firefighter John Elam speaks to reporters during a press conference, Oct. 9, 2020, in Philadelphia. (Photo: AP / Michael Perez)
In New York City, Patrick Lynch, the head of the Police Benevolent Association representing some 24,000 officers, announced the union’s endorsement of Trump at the August Republican National Convention, something members said they had no warning that would happen.
An unsigned letter from the Guardians Association said that black and minority officials the group represents were surprised by Lynch’s endorsement and wished the union had remained neutral.
Lynch said it was the union’s first presidential endorsement in at least 36 years.
“That’s how important this is,” Lynch told the crowd during an event at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, NJ, telling the president, “You’ve earned it.”
During the presidential debate in September, Trump marked the places where he felt he had the support of law enforcement. “I have Florida, I have Texas, I have Ohio,” he said. “Excuse me Portland, the sheriff just came out today and said, ‘I support President Trump.’
That sheriff, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese, quickly took to Twitter to deny any support.
Terrance Hopkins, president of the Dallas Black Police Association, said a handful of officers left the Dallas Police Department’s largest union, in part prompted by their support for Trump, and joined his organization.
“Many of these officers feel they are not being considered. A lot of the problems that push them to that point border on racial lines, “said Hopkins, a 30-year veteran officer.
“And it’s not just here. I got a call from some black officers in Kansas City, Missouri, who wanted to join my organization because they have no other outlet and they don’t feel like they are being represented. “
